Name
A name is a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to. In human cultures, a name can consist of only one word, or it can consist of many words, though the most common form in Western cultures is the use of a first name and a surname which indicates the family that the person belongs to. Mainstream Smurfs Media In mainstream Smurfs media, the typical naming convention of the Smurfs is that their name is usually based on a profession or a personality trait exhibited by the Smurf. This mostly comes from the original French versions of their names, which are used as titles rather than as names. Smurfette's name comes from her just being a female Smurf, while Sassette's name is a portmanteau of "sassy" and "Smurfette". There are characters in the stories that aren't given specific names, but are nonetheless essential to the plot of the story. Empath: The Luckiest Smurf stories In Smurf culture In the ''EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf'' novel, the naming of Smurfs usually takes about a year, as the parents use that time to discover what that child's disposition might be before deciding on a final name. Thus, Empath's name was given when he was shown to have an empathetic nature toward his Papa Smurf. In the rest of the series, however, these are usually nicknames given to the Smurfs while they are given more natural names similar to humans, which in most cases with Empath's generation tends to stick more than the use of their natural names. The main exception to this is Duncan McSmurf, who resents the use of the nickname Gutsy mostly by his fellow Smurf Hefty. In the case of the child named Baby Smurf who entered the village a few years before Empath's final return from Psychelia, he would wait several years until a finalized name was given to him, Miracle, mostly from his ability to use his innate magical abilities to perform miracles at times when it is necessary for him to do so. In other cultures In Psychelia, a name is given to a Psyche along with a designation code at the time of their "day of emergence". Since Empath, who was raised as a Psyche among them, was already given a name prior to being admitted and adopted by the Psyche Master, a shortened form of his original name Empathy was used instead of an entirely new name. Hero: The Guardian Smurf stories In the HERO: The Guardian Smurf story series, the Smurfs are given both natural names similar to humans as well as nicknames which in most cases tend to stick more than the use of their natural names. Upon each Smurfs arrival to the village as a baby, Papa Smurf recorded each of their birth names in a book, which unfortunately was left to gather dust and it resulted in most of the recorded names being lost. Hauvon Expanded Universe Humans Humans have several naming traditions depending on their culture and religion. Many names are selected for meaning, and many humans at the time of the story have names that come form such sources as saints' names, mythological figures, honoring relatives, or after plants or animals (e.g. Rose, Swanhild, Peewit.). Humans at this time period generally do not have surnames as we would recognize them. They may be known by where they come from, a physical characteristic, i.e. "The Short," by their rank, (Count Tremaine,) or by a patronym (Mark son of Michael, for example.) Matronyms were rarer, but were given when he mother's family outranked the father's, or if the father was unknown or not alive when the child was born. Smurfs Smurfs have two names; a name they share with others (including members of other races) and a Secret Name that is not shared. The shared name is more of a title, and described a Smurf's personality or vocation. It is able to be changed as the Smurf matures or assumes a new position in the Village. The Secret Name is the first name a Smurf is given in a ritual in infancy. These names are permanently attached to the Smurf's essence, and are never revealed to non-Smurfs, because one can access Smurf essence via knowledge of the Secret Name. This fact was well-known by sorcerers and wizards in times past, but it has thankfully been forgotten in recent times. Other Races Werewolves chose new names when they become what they are, or have new names given to them. Any name(s) they had before is discarded. Some of these new names are unflattering (Maenad) while others are meant to invoke fear (Fenris.) Others are the names werewolves-born-wolves take because they had no spoken names before. Trivia THDG got the idea of Secret Names from ancient Egypt, where names were considered part of a person's soul. This belief was so strong that the names of those who were convicted of capital crimes were altered in court records as a way to handicap the soul after sentencing. Category:Open to Community Category:Smurf customs Category:Customs of other races